Typewriting machine



G. W. CAMPBELL TYPEWRI TI NG MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, 15321 YWW III /nvenf0r:

Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. CAMPBELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR 'IO UNDERWOOD TYIEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

. TYPEW'RITING MACHINE.

Application filed December 19, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EORGE TV. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention. relates to sounddeadening casings for typewriting machines; and more particularly to the type of easing into which the machine is inserted from the top; the casing having a cover which may be opened to permit of placement and removal of the machine, and to permit of access to the machine for erasures and other purposes.

Casings of the character mentioned have been provided with means for locating the front and rear feet of the machine to cause the machine to be properly positioned therein. Accurate positioning of the front of the machine against the inner face of the front wall of the casing is usually necessary if the sound-deadening characteristic of the casing is to be obtained. The abutments for the front feet of the machine are therefore accurately and preferably fixedly positioned. The abutments for the rear feet should also be accurately set; but slight inequalities, usually due to wear or injury of parts, may occur which prevent correct placement of the rear feet in their locators when the front feet are in true position. In the use of certain casings, the machine is inserted with the keyboaid-extension thereof tilted downward and forward; the placement being completed by swinging the keyboard-extension forward through a hole in the front wall of the casing and moving the machine forward until the front feet thereof are in their locators; the rear of the machine then being lowered until the rear feet are in loca tors therefor. This final movement is, however, sometimes obstructed by reason of the rear locators being slightly out of alignment with the rear feet of the machine.

An object of the present invention is the provision of means whereby the locators. and more particularly the rear locators, may be ccurately adjusted to the true position o the feet or posts of the machine which they are to abut.

In machines of the character mentioned,

Serial N10. 523,340.

means have been provided to lock the cover, and springs have been provided to assist in opening the cover when the same is unlocked. The locking devices should be so designed and located that they annot he accidentally injured, in placing or removing the machine, or interfere with or be injured by the operator in any of the operations for which the cover is opened. Nevertheless, it is desirable to have the locking devices so located that the connections thereto are few and shortand simple; with the key for operating the same in the most convenient and accessible position.

An object of the invention is the provision of cover-locking means, which, while protected from injury, may be positioned at the front of the machine, with its operating key in the most convenient and accessible position and with key-connections of the simplest and most reliable character.

. It Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in cross sectional end elevation of the casing, showing the features of the present invention; the typewriter being indicated in dotted lines therein.

Figure 2 is a front view, in cross-section, on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing the locking device at one end of the frame.

Figure 3 is a top plan view, in cross-section, through one corner of the casing, to show one of the rear abutments.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the abutments, showing the means by which the sections thereof are secured together.

The casing is shown as comprising two principal castings, one of which 10 constitutes the body of the casing, and the other of which 11 constitutes the cover hinged at 12 to the body-portion. Both castings have a lining of sound-deadening material (not shown). The body-portion of the casing is shown as having a floor or bottom 13, of sound-deadening material, secured to the casting of the casing-body in any suitable manner. The cover of the casing is provided with a window-pane 14, of glass or other transparent material, to permit the operator to observe the printing effected within the casing. The pane ll is set in a suitable opening in the cover-casting, and held therein in any suitable manner. The

cover is also provided with a finger-piece 15, by means of which it may be shut, or, if desired, opened.

The main frame 16 of the typewriting machine,'indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, is supported by front feet 18 and rear feet 19. The keyboard-extension 20 of the typewriting machine projects through a suitable opening 21 in the front wall 22 of the casing-body. The typewriter-carriage (not shown) is mounted to have letter-feed and return movements on the main frame of the machine, and has mounted thereon a linespace lever 23, a carriagerelease lever 24, and a carriage-return arm 25. In Figure 1, these levers are shown as projecting to the outside of the front wall of the casing, so as to be accessible to the operator. Since these levers must move with the carriage, the front wall of the casing must be slotted horizontally and longitudinally thereof. In Figure 1,'this slot 'is shown at 26 as formed by a bead 27 on the forward lower edge 'of the cover and by a bead 28 on the upper edge of the front wall 22 of the casing-body. The slot 26 is, however, practically closed by two resilient, flexible cushions 29 and 30; the cushion29-being attached to the bead 27 on the cover, and the cushion 30 beingattach'ed to the bead 23 on the front wall of the casing-body. The cushions in efiect, close the slot 26, being in contact with each other except where the members 23, 24 and 25 protrude between the same. The yieldable, flexible character of the cushions permits movement of the said members the-realong as the carriage is moved in one or the other direction. 7

When the casing-cover 11 is open, the typewriting machine may be inserted into the'cas'ing through'the open top of the ea ing-body. In the form of the casing shown, the typewriter is inserted with its keyboardextcnsioh tilted downward and forward. Thus tilted, thekeyboard-extension is passed through the hole or opening 21 in the front wall 22of the casing, the side plates of the frame l6being received in slots (not SJOWD) in a cross-piece 31 of the casing-body below the keyboard. The keyboard-extension is brought forward through the opening 21, and the front of themachine lowered until the front feet thereof enter recesses in locators 32, which are shown in Figure *1 as horizontal lugs forming part ofth'e casingbody front wall casting. The recesses in the locators 32 are curved in conformity with the curvature of the front feet 18.

After the feet 18 are'centered in the'locators 32, the rear of the machine is lowered to bring the rear feet 19 to rest on the basepi'ece 13. When the rear feet 19 are thus seated in the base 13, they shoulc 'find'theinselves in recesses 33 (see Figure 3) of locators at'the rear of the casing. In Figures with a shoulder 49. turned home, the shoulder 49 serves to jam cause of other reasons.

tration does not occur, the rear feet 19 of 3 and 4, the locator of the present invention is shown as an abutment in three sheet-metal sections 34, 35 and 36. The section 34 is a right-angle piece, riveted or otherwise attached, as at 37, to the rear wall 38 of the casing-body; It is of spring-metal so that its forwardly-projecting arin may yield in one or the other direction when pressure is applied thereto, and may tend to restore itself to normal position when released from the pressure. The section 35 is a rightangle strip rivet-ed or otherwise secure-d, as at 39, to the side wall 40 of the casing-body.

The central section 36, which has the recess 33, in which the rear foot 19 is set, and which serves as the actual abutn'ient for the rear foot, is supported by the other two sections 34 and 35. As shown in Figure 4, the forward end of the section 34 has a slot 41 in the end thereof, which slot is tapered off as at 42, from the outside to the lnside face of the strip. The section 36 is tapered, as at 43, from the inside to the outside face thereof, to form faces which bear on the outside face of the section 34 when the parts are v in Figure'3 position. The section 36 also ter ininates at one end in a tongue 44, bent as at 45. When the faces 43 rest against the outside face of the section 34, the bent portion of the tongue 45 rests against the inside face of the section 34, as shown in Figure 3. The sections 36 and 34 are thus locked together to move with one another in both directions.

The other end of the section 36 overlaps the section 35. The section 35 is slotted, as at 46, to receive a screw 47, which passes through the slot, and is fixed in the overlapping part of the section 36. The screw 47 is provided with a thumb-piece 48 and l Vhen the screw is the overlapping sections 35 and 36 together, and to hold them in fixed relative position. Upon loosening the screw 47, however, the sections 35 and 36 may be slid relatively to one another to any adjusted position, and,

by again tightening the screw 47, may be held in such ad1usted position. This movement of the section 36 relative to the section 35 is not obstructed by the section 34,

"movement of the section 36 in either direction.

As hereinbefore stated, when the abutments for the rear feet have once been set, the rear feet of the typewriter should register with the recesses 33 whcnthe front feet thereof have been positioned in the frontlocators 32, but do not always do so, because of the inequalities in structure, heretofore referred to, and possibly bel Jhere such registhe machine, when the same is lowered, will not enter the recesses, but one or the. other, or both, of the rear feet will strike and be stopped by the top edge of the corresponding abutment, thus preventing the machine from settling into place, and, in any event, failing to serve as proper locators for the rear of the machine. If this failure of registration occurs, in the present invention, it is merely necessary to loosen the screw 47 and to move the recessed section 36 of the abutment in one or the other direction until the foot 19 rests upon the base 13 in proper position in the recess F or causing the cover automatically to open, when free to do so, there is provided a spring-device consisting of a cylinder 50, pivotally attached at 51 to a bracket 52 on the casing-body, and a piston-rod 53, for the cylinder 50, pivotally connected at 5st to a bracket 55 on the cover 11. A coil-spring 56, which, as shown in Figure 1, is in compression when the cover is closed, bears at one end against the head 57 of the cylinder 50, and at the other end against the piston 58 of the piston-rod 53, thereby tending to force the piston rearward, to cause the rod 53 to throw the cover 11 open. A coilspring 59, embracing the piston-rod 53 between the cylinder-head 60 and the rear face of the piston 58, is normally slack, as shown in Figure 1, but, as the piston moves backin the cover-opening operation, is compressed, to ofier increased resistance to the movement of the piston, and thereby to serve as a bufier for eliminating shocks and injuries to the casing which might otherwise occur.

For locking the cover against the action of the spring-device, just referred to, there is pivoted at 62, to one of the side walls of the cover, a hook 63 which depends into the body-part of the casing. hen the cover is shut and the hook 63 is swung forward, it engages a detent 64, carried by the casingbody. Mounted to be slid rearward and forward in the front wall of the easing-body is a pin 65, carrying on its outer end a finger-piece 66, and having on its inner end a head 67, adapted to engage the end of the hook 63. When the key or finger-piece 66 is pressed rearward, the pin disengages the hook from the detent 64L and releases the cover to the action of the opening device, heretofore described. A sleeve 68, mounted in the casing front wall, serves as a hardened bearing for the pin 65. This is employed because the material of the casing itself may'not be hard enough to prevent undue wear by the pin 65; and such wear might cause the-pin to become loose and inaccurate in its action.

In order that the book may not be injured by the typewriting machine, in the operation of removing the latter from the the bottom by the offset side wall 72 (see Figure 2) of the body-portion of the casing. lVithin the housing on the cover is also a leaf-spring 73, which bears against the rear of the hook 63 and against the rear wall of the housing, and thus tends to throw the hook 63 forward into cover-locking position. The normal position of the hook 63 is therefore a. forward position; and, in or der that the hook may not interfere with the closing of the cover, the upper forward edge of the housing 71 on the casing-body is slightly bent out, as at 7%, to form a cam, which, by engagement with the nose of the hook as the cover is closed, will force the hook rearward to allow the same to enter the housing 71. The nose of the hook may also be tapered, as at 75, to assist in this camming operation. The head 67 on the hookengaging end of the pin 65 not only serves as a wide flat surface for ope ating the hook, but also serves as a shoulder to prevent the pin from being ejected forward out of the casing-wall by the spring action of the hook 63, and from falling out when the casing is tilted. The front and rear walls of the housing may serve as stops to limit the throw of the hook.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine having a frame, feet at the corners of said frame, a carriage, and an operating finger-piece projecting from said carriage, said casing having a slot in which the operating fingerpiece travels with the carriage, said aising having fixed means for locating the feet at the front of the frame. positioning the machine so as to avoid interference with the operation of the fingerpiece in the slot, and adjustable means for lo rating the feet at the rear of the frame in conformity with the location of the feet at the front, thereby UOlDI'JQHSZlllHQ for slight variations in the relative positioning of the feet in different machines.

52. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine having a frame, feet at the corners of said frame. a carriage, and an operating linger-piece projecting from said carriage, said casing having a slot in which li'ni iii the operating finger-piece travels With the carriage, and comprising a fixedbar at the front With rearwardly facing recesses to receive the front feet to position the machine so as to avoid interference "with the operation of the fingerpiece in the slot, and means fol-engaging the rear feet of the ma chineto hold'the front feet in said recesses, said means forengaging'the rear feet comprising, for each foot, an abutment adjustable to compensate for variations in the relative positioning of the front and rear feet.

3. A sound-deadening casing for a type- Writing machine, having openings at the front through which operating parts of the machine project and'eomprising fixed abutments provided with recesses to receive the feet at one'edge of the machine-fra1he and locatethe machine with said operating parts in proper relationto said openings, and a locating device for eachof the other feet adjustable to compensate for variations in the relative positioning of the feet and comprising one section recessed to receive the foot and another section fixed to the casing and With respect to which the first section is 1 adjustable.

4-. A soundedeadening casing for a type Writing machine, having openings at the front through Which operating parts of the machine project and comprising fixed abutments provided With recesses to receive the feet at one edge of the machine-frame and locate theinachine with, said operating parts in proper relation to said openings, a loeating device for each of the other feet ad justable to compensate for variations in the relative positioning of the feet and comprising one section recessed to receive the foot and another section fixed to the casing and with respect to Which the first section is adjustable, and means for locking the adjustable section in adjusted position.

5. A sound-deadening casing for a type- Writing machine, having openings at the front through Which operating parts of the machine project and comprising fixed abutments provided With recesses to receive the feet at one edge of the machine-frame and locate the machine to properlv position said operating parts relatively to said openings,

and a locating device for each of the other feet adjustable to compensate for variations in the relative positioning of the feet and comprising a sectional abutment having one section fixed to the casing, a secondsection recessed to receive the foot and adjustable with respect to the first section, and a third section in the form of a vieldable arm attached at one point to the casing and at another point engaging theadjustable section. to assist the fixed section in supporting the adjustable section.

6. A soimd-deadening casin for a type- Writing machine, having openings at the front through which operating parts-of the machine project and comprising fined abutments provided with recesses to receive the feet at one edge of the machine-frame and locate the machine to properly position said operating parts relatively "to said openings, and av locating device for each of the other feet adjustable to compensate for variations in the relative positioning of the feet and comprising a-sectionalabutment having one section fixed to the casing, a second section recessed to receive the foot and ad ustable with respect to the first S6Ct1011.,-3j11d a third section in the form of a vieldable arm attached at one point to the casing and at another point engaging the adjustable section to assist the fixed section in supporting the adjustable section, one of said yieldable and adjustable sections'being slotted and the other having a tongue passing through said slot from oneside of the slotted section and bent to engage the other side of the slotted section to lock these sections together for movement in either direction.

'7. A sound-deadening casing for a type- Writing machine, having openings at the front through Which operating parts of the machine project and comprising fixed abutments provided with recesses to receive the feet at one edge of the. maChine frame and locate the machine to properly position said operating parts relatively to said openings,

and a locating device for each-0f the other feet ad ustable to compensate for variations in the relative positioning of the feet and comprising a sectional abutment having one section fixed to the casing, a second section recessed to receive the foot and adjustable With respect to the first section, and a third section in the form of a yieldable armattached at one point to the casing and at another point engaging the adjustable sectlon to asslst the fixedsection in supporting the adjustable section, one'of said yieldable and adjustable -sections being slotted and the other having a tongue passing through said slot from one side of the slotted section and bent to engage the other side of the slotted section to lock these sections together for movement in either direction, said adjustable section overlapping and sliding on said firstcompensate for variations in the relative positioning of the feet and comprising a sectional abutment having one section fixed to the side or end wall of the casing, a second section recessed to receive the foot and adjustable with respect to the first section, and a third section in the form of a yieldable arm attached to the casing and disposed angularly to the adjustable section; one of said yieldable and adjustable sections being slotted and the other having a tongue passing through said slot from one side of the slotted section and bent to engage the other side of the slotted section; so that the yieldable and adjustable sections are locked to move together in either direction; said adjustable section overlapping and sliding on said first-mentioned fixed section at substantially a right angle to the yieldable arm, and means for securing said overlapping sections in adjusted relation, consisting of a set-screw attached to one section and passing through a longitudinal slot in the other section.

9. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, having openings at the front through which operating parts of the machine project and comprising fixed abutments provided with recesses to receive the front feet of the machine and locate the machine with its operating parts in proper relation to said openings, and a locating device for each of the rear feet :uljustable to compensate for variations in the relative positioning of the feet and comprising a sectional abutment having one section fixed to the side or end wall of the casing, a second section recessed to receive the foot and adjustable with respect to the first section, and a third section in the form of a yieldeble arm attached to the rear wall of the casing and disposed angularly to the ad justable section; one of said yieldable and adjustable sections being slotted and the other having a tongue passing through said slot from one side of the slot-ted section and bent to engage the other side of the slotted section; so that the yicldablc and adjustable sections are locked to move togetherin either direction.

10. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, having a slot in which an operating finger-piece travels with the carriage and comprising fixed means for locating the front feet of the machine, so as to avoid interference with the operation of said finger-piece in said slot, and adjustable means for locating the rear feet of the machine in conformity with the location of the front feet, and thereby compensating for slight variations in the relative positioning of the feet in different machines.

GEORGE W. CAMPBELL. 

